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The Residents Association for the Blackhorse Road area, Walthamstow E17
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Cut household bills - Join our ECO Teams

Join one of our ECO Teams - reduce your impact on the environment and save money!

• Cut household bills • Make new friends
• Environmental benefits • Health benefits
• Visits to eco-houses

No one can do everything – but we can all do something!

BAG is currently recruiting for 2 EcoTeams to start Mid-November. There are only 6 more spaces to fill - first come first served.

EcoTeams are free to all residents in the Blackhorse Road area.

What is an Eco Team?
An EcoTeam is a group of 6-8 local people who meet once a month for five months to learn simple yet effective ways of conserving household energy and reducing bills while helping to save the planet. Small changes can make a big difference by living more sustainably.

What is involved?
Meetings are informal, friendly and are organised to be within walking distance of your home. EcoTeam participants meet to discuss choices for shopping, energy, transport and water – and you can try the ideas that appeal to you.
You also monitor how much rubbish & recycling you generate and your domestic use of energy. You’ll receive our information folder filled with tips, facts and internet links to help you and your team members.

How much time will it take?
About 2 hours a month, including the meetings and measurements.

Does it work?
Yes! Past teams have achieved great environmental savings:
Waste – 20%, Gas/heating – 21%, Electricity – 7%, Water – 15%
Household annual average saving of £148

Joining an EcoTeam
If you want to be part of an EcoTeam, just let us know your details and you will be invited along to a short initial meeting. The local team leader will show you a DVD and explain how the EcoTeams initiative works in your area. You then decide if you want to participate. It’s as simple as that and, remember, it’s free.

To join or to find out more
Please email Irina

National website: www.globalactionplan.org.uk
Registered charity number 1026148

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October 14, 2008 @ 3:42 pm

Knee deep in rubbish

To save itself some money, our ever-creative council recently outsourced refuse collection to a company called Kier Street Services, (part of the Kier Group which, no doubt coincidentally, is eyeing up lucrative development work in the borough: see here.)

In a “groundbreaking” departure from good sense, “the unique nature of the contract means that Kier’s performance will be measured by how clean the borough is rather than by how often streets are swept.” [link] [and it's even in a newsletter!] Super!

However, suspicious residents have begun to smell a rat – quite literally in many cases, as they wade to their front doors through a carpet of rotting refuse. How clean is clean? What counts as unacceptable?

In these troubled times, the council might not have enough resources to monitor our streets. Well, phew! Here’s where we can help them, poor loves. Thank goodness for the internet!

When you see a pile of offensive rubbish, take a snap with your camera, your phone, whatever you use, and upload it to this special “Kick Out Kier” gallery of rubbish.

And if your blood’s still boiling when you’ve done that, why not sign the petition?

Filed under Waste & Recycling Permalink · No Comments »

June 27, 2008 @ 11:05 am

North London Waste Plan consultation results

The North London Waste Plan have declared their consultation period with residents to be over.

The results are summarised in a whopper of a PDF file on their site; you can look at it here.

There are several references to the Blackhorse area including this about residents opinion:

A significant number of respondents expressed specific opposition to the use of the Blackhorse Lane area for new waste facilities because of potential negative impacts on residential amenity, health and the local transport network. In addition, the development of waste facilities in this area is seen by some to be incompatible with the current and proposed future regeneration of the area.

Filed under North London Waste Plan, The Environment, Waste & Recycling Permalink · 2 Comments »

March 17, 2008 @ 10:18 am

Waste row rumbles on…

The Walthamstow Independent (14/03/08) featured the continuing row over plans for new waste facilities in the area.

For some reason Walthamstow is to be saddled with half the facilities needed to serve all of North London, with Blackhorse Lane as one site. Plans include a hazardous waste-processing facility, an incinerator, and recycling centres. The locations of each type have not yet been decided.

The article (here) highlights residents concerns that they have not been made aware enough or properly consulted on the plans.

If you have objections or opinions, visit the North London Waste Plan site or email feedback@nlwp.net

On a side note, due to slightly unclear wording the article gave some people the impression that the Blackhorse Action Group is somehow associated with the Socialist party.
The “Resident” that posted a comment about the “socialist cell organising and campaigning behind the cover of the Blackhorse Action Group” can rest easy. We are a residents group with a fully open AGM and are not affiliated with the Socialist (or any other) Party.

Any residents who wish to join visit here, or come along to our social on the 17th May at The Douglas Eyre Pavilion.

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March 9, 2008 @ 9:00 pm

Get involved in the Waste & Recycling working group!

The Waste & Recycling working group looks into ways of improving our recycling and waste issues - anything from trying to sort out the sewers to trying to getting the Council to do a better job of the recycling!

To find out more, email: wasteandrecycling@blackhorseactiongroup.org.uk

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Walthamstow Guardian news feed

Images on sex slur leaflets appear on BNP website November 20, 2008
IMAGES identical to those on sick leaflets claiming the Liberal Democrats condone paedophilia are available on the British National Party (BNP) website.
Lib Dem fury over sex slur leaflets November 20, 2008
A BY-ELECTION campaign has taken a disturbing twist with a sinister leaflet claiming Liberal Democrats want to legalise paedophilia being pushed through voters' doors.
WALTHAM FOREST: Concerns raised over role of Christian group November 20, 2008
CONCERNS were expressed over a representative of a Christian charity being elected unopposed to an influential crime forum.
WALTHAM FOREST: Row continues over borough's filthy streets November 20, 2008
THE row over the state of the borough's streets under street service provider Kier is still raging - nearly six months after they took the contract.
LEYTON: Fifth person charged with Patel murder November 20, 2008
A FIFTH man has been charged with the murder of Adnan Patel, who was stabbed to death in Leyton.

Government planning news

News from Fight The Height

St Modwen Credit Crunched October 11, 2008
"It's Credity and It's OOOhhh SOOooo Crunchy", but if you're a 'brownfield land development specialist' its not especially tasty.Like lots of companies, which have to borrow heavily in order to make speculative investments, St Modwen are feeling the pinch. Their shares have fallen by over 50% in the last year and, as a result, its borrowings of £470 million are about £100 million more than its
One bit of River Lea saved from tower block hell September 25, 2008
Seven Storey Tower Block - REFUSED The council has refused an application for a horrid cluster of tower blocks. Essex Wharf - three seven-storey blocks near Lea Bridge Road, would have overshadowed a beautiful section of the River Lea. It has been refused for various reasons: Its unsightly impact, dominating the landscape, the poor quality of the 'affordable' living accommodation, unsustainable
Big Shot Property Developer visits Walthamstow September 25, 2008
"THE ARCHERS" [Radio 4] COME TO WALTHAMSTOW Last week property developer Matt Crawford [normally found concreting over farmers fields in Ambridge, or converting the barns of struggling tenant farmers] paid a visit to Walthamstow. Ostensibly he was here to meet his real mother [he was adopted at birth], having tracked her down to an old people's home in The Stow. This first meeting didn't go very

Latest news from the library campaign

consultation - get it back quick! July 10, 2008
well after months of excuses, broken promises and chasing (the latest excuse was heavy rain!) the consultations have finally been delivered to houses in the st james st area. The council refuses to ask the right questions and they refuse to extend the deadline past 18th July despite the fact most people only received [...]
the mystery of the disappearing consultation! June 30, 2008
Those funny folk at the council are supposedly undertaking a consultation into the future of library provision in the st james st area. Mysteriously, though, none of the campaigners or people we’ve asked so far, have received a consultation, even though Lorna Lee (head of Library Service) told us she sent them out to every [...]
Thanks! June 7, 2008
To everyone who came today - great turnout, bout a 100 i reckon, great to see residents and the library workers standing side by side and standing up for libraries, including those who came in to talk to central library users (who were very supportive). The only really strange comment was from the library manager [...]

Latest news from the campaign to save the William Morris Gallery

Inspired by William Morris Exhibition September 16, 2008
The latest “Inspired by William Morris” exhibition is now up and running in the Changing Room Gallery in Lloyd Park, behind the William Morris Gallery. Seventeen artists have contributed in what is a varied and wonderful show, prints paintings stained glass and furniture are all on display. It will be open every day until Sunday the 21st from 10am [...]
William Morris related events September 1, 2008
FRIENDS EVENTS The following events are for Friends of William Morris Gallery, if you’re interested in becoming a friend and in the benefits, please email Helen Smith. 13 September 2008 ** FULLY BOOKED ** Vist to the home of Emery Walker, No 7 Hammersmith Terrace. Please contact the Hon Secretary for any cancellations: nineteenthcentury@btopenworld.com 11 October A visit to the village of Ditchling [...]
September 2008, E17 Art Trail September 1, 2008
Don’t miss this years Art Trail - it’s the biggest yet with hundreds of exhibitions and events all over Walthamstow. Exhibitions influenced by William Morris or at William Morris Gallery are listed below. For a full listing, please see www.e17arttrail.co.uk. Sat 6 - Sun 14 September, daylight hours The Morris Garden Fire Station forecourt, 343 Forest Road Urban Zen [...]

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